Buckle for safety belts



Jan. 21, 1964 s. wExLER BUCKLE FOR SAFETY BELTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 25, 1962 INVENTOR.

ATTO/@N57 Jan. 21, 1964 s. wExLER 3,118,208

BUCKLE FOR SAFETY BELTS Filed April 25, 1962 2 sheets-sheet 2 d nar.

Uf f INVENTOR.

SOL WEXLER United States Patent Office ll Patented Jan. 21, 1964 YorkFiled Apr. 25, 1952, Ser. No. 190,056 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-230) Thisinvention relates generally to safety belts and more particularly to abuckle construction for safety belts.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a buckleconstruction that is relatively free from the possibility of accidentalor inertia-operated unlocking.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle constructionwherein the release lever does not function to maintain the two bucklecomponents in engagement.

Still another obj'ect of the invention is to provide a buckleconstruction wherein the cam members function to hold the two bucklecomponents together.

specific object of the invention is to provide a single springconstruction for biasing the cam members to a position holding thebuckle components in engagement.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. l is a top plan view of a buckle construction embodying myinvention shown disassembled.

FIG. 2 is a part elevational and part sectional view through thelongitudinal center of the buckle construction in assembled condition.

FG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the release lever moved torelease position and the buckle components partially disengaged.

FlG. 5 is a perspective view of the cam assembly.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

lTlG. 7 is a perspective view of the biasing means for the cam assembly.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of one of the buckle components formingpart of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a buckle construction embodying myinvention is shown in FlG. 2 and desi gnated generally by the referencenumeral lil. The buckle construction lil comprises broadly a bucklecomponent or coupling member l2 and a buckle component or couplingmember i4 for fastening the ends i6 and i5 of a belt 29 to each other.

The buckle component i4 is a flat metal rectangular plate 22 formedalong one long edge with an elongated closed slot 24 for receiving thelooped end 18 of the belt 2rd. Apair of spaced openings 26, 26 is formedalong the other long edge of the plate to receive parts of the bucklecomponent 12.

With particular reference to FiGS. 2 and 3, the buckle component l2comprises a frame including a flat rectangular metal base 28 andparallel opstanding side flanges Eil, 3i?. The base 23 is provided withupwardly bulged portions 32, 32 adapted to fit in openings 26, 26 ofbuckle component i4. The positioninf7 of the openings 26, 26 in thecomponent i4 and the formed portions 32, 32 on component l2 may bereversed if desired. The surfaces 34, 34- cf the bulging portions 32, 32are slanted with respect to a normal to the base 28 at an angle oftwenty to twenty-live degrees, if the members are to be left in theiroriginal condition established by the forming dies.

The openings 26, 26 in the buckle component Vi4 are beveled from bothsides along the edges 36, 36 so that these surfaces will conform to thesurfaces 34, 34 regardless of the orientation in which the component i4is shoved into enga-gement with the component l2.

The flanges Sil, Si? provide for the mounting of a cylindrical shaft 38,the hexagonal head 49 of the shaft at one end being received in thesimilarly-shaped opening in the adjacent flange 33 to assure nonrotativepositioning of the shaft with respect to the frame of the buckle. Theshaft is formed with an elongated closed slot 42.

A pair of camming levers 44, 44 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 33 atits ends, the shaft passing loosely through holes 45, 4S in the levers.The shape and dimensions of the camming levers are selected so that asmall amount of clearance is provided for the belt buckle component 14when itis inserted in the fully engaged positions shown in FIG. 2. Thepurpose of the camming levers y44, `44 is to maintain the bulgingportions 32, 32 of component d2 in locking position in the openings 26,26 in component i4.

ylt will be noted from FIG. 3, that the flanges 30, 30 of the frame, thecamming levers 44, 44 and the bulging portions 32, 32 of component l2are positioned in such a manner that the camming levers 44, 44 are asclose as possible to the flanges Btl, 3d and the bulging portions 32, 32are as close as practical to the camming levers 44, 44, respectively.

T he buckle `component l2 includes a release lever designated generallyat 4E. e release lever consists of a compound curved metal rectangularplate 5G formed with inwardly extending flanges 52, 52 along its lon-gedges, the flanges at one end terminating in inwardly extendingperforated ears 5 4, E4 forming bearings for bushings 55 through whichthe ends of shaft 38 pass to the flanges 3G, Sil. The other end of theplate Sil is turned outwardly abruptly forming a handle 56 formanipulating the lever. lhe short edge 7@ of the lever at the endbearing the ears 54, 54 presses against the adjacent long edges of thecamming levers 44, 44. Metal washers oil, d@ are mounted on the shaft 38between the camming levers and the perforated ears 54, 54.

The present invention contemplates a single elongated torsion springdevice 62 for biasing the camming levers 44, 44 with respect to therelease lever 48 and shaft 3S. The spring construction 62 includes apair of coiled spring portions 64, 64 connected by a length of wire 66.The spring device 62 is sleeved around the shaft 38 with its endportions 64, 64 adjacent the camming levers 44, 44 and with itsconnecting Wire 66 inserted through the slot 42 of the shaft andextending along the interior of the shaft. The ends 68 of the springdevice are offset from the outermost convolution and are hooked aroundthe camming levers 44, 44 adjacent the outer ends therof. The net resultof this arrangement of the spring device is that the spring device isheld in a relationship which is xed with respect to the shaft and to theframe of the buckle as a result of the nonrotative mounting of the shaft33. lThe camming levers 44, 44 are biased in such a direction that saidlevers engage the edge itl of the release lever 4S and urge the levertoward closed position.

Referring to IFIG. 4, the release of the buckle involves the movement ofthe lever 48 in a clockwise direction to the point that the camminglevers 44, 44 are driven in a similar direction a sutlicient distance topermit the coupling member 14 to rise over the bulging portions 32, 32and thereby be free to be Withdrawn. The reengagement of the couplingmembers takes place as shown in lFlG. 2. As the coupling member 14 ispushed to the left, the camming levers 44, 44 are rotated by the forceapplied by the end of the coupling member 14. The movement of thecamming levers a suflicient distance to permit the inser- 3 tion of thebuckle component 1.4 taires place without any corresponding movement ofthe release lever 4S, and the engagement is opposed only by the spring62.

A knurled pin 76 is slidably mounted in a cutout portion 7S formed inthe base 23 and is adapted to receive the end of the belt 20therearound. When the release lever 43 is in uppermost moved positionthe belt may be moved with respect to the pin for adjusting theeffective length of the belt. When the lever 4S is returned to normalposition, the lever clamps the belt between the pin and the edge of thecutout portion.

While l have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to -be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and that various changes andmodiiications may be made Within the scope of the invention as deiinedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1. A safety belt :bucklecomprising a first coupling member, said iirst couplinfr member being inthe form of a diat plate and having belt-engaging means and a pair ofspaced slots; and a second coupling member, said second coupiing memberincluding a frame having a substantially flat base portion and bulgingportions projecting from said base portion and adapted to engage saidslots, said frame also including opposite parallel flanges disposed onthe same side of said base portion as said bulging portions, acylindrical shaft extending between said flanges and nonrotativelymounted therein, said shaft having an elongated slot therein, camminglevers rotatably -mounted on the ends of said shaft between saidiianges, a release lever rotatably mounted on said shaft and having adriving edge disposed to engage and induce rotation of said camminglevers on manual rotation of said release lever from a position adjacentsaid base portion toward a position perpendicular thereto, and commonmeans for biasing said release lever toward a position against said baseportion and for urging said camming levers against the driving edge ofsaid release lever, said camming levers being positioned to maintain theengagement of said rst coupling member with said bulging portions withsaid release lever adjacent said base portion and provide clearance forthe escape of said iirst coupling member from said bulging portions onmanual rotation of said release lever to a position approachingperpendicularity to said -base portion, said second coupling member msohaving a belt-receiving portion, said common biasing means comprising anelongated spring device having coiled end formations around the ends ofthe shaft with the extremities of the formations hooked around thecam-ming levers, the midportion of the spring device being secured inthe slot in the shaft.

2. A safety belt buckle comprising a yfirst coupling member, said firstcoupling member being in the form of a flat plate and havingbelt-engaging means and a pair of spaced slots; and a second couplingmember, said second coupling member including a 'frame having asubstantially iiat base portion and bulging portions projecting fromsaid base portion and adapted to engage said slots, said frame alsoincluding opposite parallel iianges disposed on the same side of saidbase portion as said bulging portions, a cylindricai shaft extendingbetween said flanges and nonrotatively mounted therein, said shafthraving an elongated slot therein, camming levers rotatably mounted onthe ends of said shaft between said flanges, a release lever rotatablymounted on said shaft and having a driving edge dispose to engage andinduce rotation of said camming levers on manual rotation of saidrelease lever from a position adjacent said base portion toward aposition perpendicular thereto, and common means for biasing saidrelease lever toward a position against said base portion and for urgingsaid camming levers against the driving edge of said release lever, saidcam-ming levers being positioned to maintain the engagement of saidfirst coupling member with said bulging portions with said release leveradjacent said base portion and provide clearance for the escape of saidiirst coupling member from said bulging portions on manual rotation ofsaid release lever t-o a position approaching perpendieularity to saidbase portion, said second coupling member also having a belt-receivingportion, said common `biasing means comprising an elongated springdevice having coiled end formations around the ends of the shaft withthe extremities of the formations hooked around the camming levers, theother transverse edge of the release lever being bent outwardly forminga handle for manipulation of the release lever, and Washers interposedbetween the sides of the release lever and the camming levers, themidportion of the spring device being secured in the slot in the shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,590,297 Curtis Mar. 25, 1952 2,816,33 Prete Dec. 17, 1957 2,904,866Carter Sept. 22, 1959 2,965,942 Carter Dec. 27, 1960 3,029,487 Asai Apr.17, 1962 3,068,784 McDuiiie Dec. 18, 1962 FOREGN PATENTS 769,195 GreatBritain lFeb. 27, 1957

1. A SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COMPRISING A FIRST COUPLING MEMBER, SAID FIRSTCOUPLING MEMBER BEING IN THE FORM OF A FLAT PLATE AND HAVINGBELT-ENGAGING MEANS AND A PAIR OF SPACED SLOTS; AND A SECOND COUPLINGMEMBER, SAID SECOND COUPLING MEMBER INCLUDING A FRAME HAVING ASUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BASE PORTION AND BULDING PORTIONS PROJECTING FROMSAID BASE PORTION AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID SLOTS, SAID FRAME ALSOINCLUDING OPPOSITE PARALLEL FLANGES DISPOSED ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAIDBASE PORTION AS SAID BULGING PORTIONS, A CYLINDRICAL SHAFT EXTENDINGBETWEEN SAID FLANGES AND NONROTATIVELY MOUNTED THEREIN, SAID SHAFTHAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT THEREIN, CAMMING LEVERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ONTHE ENDS OF SAID SHAFT BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, A RELEASE LEVER ROTATABLYMOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND HAVING A DRIVING EDGE DISPOSED TO ENGAGE ANDINDUCE ROTATION OF SAID CAMMING LEVERS ON MANUAL ROTATION OF SAIDRELEASE LEVER FROM A POSITION ADJACENT SAID BASE PORTION TOWARD APOSITION PERPENDICULAR THERETO, AND COMMON MEANS FOR BIASING SAIDRELEASE LEVER TOWARD A POSITION AGAINST SAID BASE PORTION AND FOR URGINGSAID CAMMING LEVERS AGAINST THE DRIVING EDGE OF SAID RELEASE LEVER, SAIDCAMMING LEVERS BEING POSITIONED TO MAINTAIN THE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FIRSTCOUPLING MEMBER WITH SAID BULGING PORTIONS WITH SAID RELEASE LEVERADJACENT SAID BASE PORTION AND PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR THE ESCAPE OF SAIDFIRST COUPLING MEMBER FROM SAID BULGING PORTIONS ON MANUAL ROTATION OFSAID RELEASE LEVER TO A POSITION APPROACHING PERPENDICULARITY TO SAIDBASE PORTION, SAID SECOND COUPLING MEMBER ALSO HAVING A BELT-RECEIVINGPORTION, SAID COMMON BIASING MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SPRING DEVICEHAVING COILED END FORMATIONS AROUND THE ENDS OF THE SHAFT WITH THEEXTREMITIES OF THE FORMATIONS HOOKED AROUND THE CAMMING LEVERS, THEMIDPORTION OF THE SPRING DEVICE BEING SECURED IN THE SLOT IN THE SHAFT.